Chapter 586: Identity
On the eastern coast of Prit, in Tivyan.
During the day, in the outskirts of Tivyan, there is a steep cliff by the sea. Below the cliff are countless jagged rocks, and the surging waves continuously crash against the sturdy rocks, with the sound of the waves never ceasing.
At the top of the cliff stands a large military fortress. This fortress, which faces the sea on two sides, has high walls and numerous watchtowers. The fortified g*n towers are densely dotted with g*n ports, and the high walls are patrolled by countless soldiers in Prit uniforms. The flag of Prit flutters in the wind.
Built by the sea, this fortress appears to be a coastal defense fort from the surface. However, upon closer inspection, one can see that the cannons are not only aimed at the sea but also at the shore, indicating extensive military deployments. The defenses on all sides are tight, suggesting that the level of vigilance here is much higher than that of ordinary military facilities.
The name of this fortress is Cold Cliff Prison. Yes, its essence is not a military fortress but a prison, and a particularly special one. The criminals detained here are involved in secret crimes. This is one of the many specialized prisons set up by the Prit government for particularly dangerous criminals.
Special criminals refer to those involved in secret events. When the Prit Secret Police solve cases related to extraordinary beings, most of the captured criminals are concentrated in such specialized prisons. From the ordinary members of secret societies to Black Earth-level officials, the ordinary members and low-level extraordinary beings of the Tivyan region are all detained here. For extremely rare White Chalk-level major officials, there are other more secure areas to detain them.
Outside Cold Cliff Prison, in the not-so-dense forest on the shore, two figures were riding two fine horses through a narrow and winding path. Leading the way was a woman dressed in long boots, trousers, a black windbreaker, and a short hat, wearing standard Hunter uniform. That was Misha Devenhill, the Special Captain of Tivyan’s Anonymity Headquarters. Behind her was another Hunter in uniform, named Gregor.
On the slightly muddy path, the two rode toward the tall fortress in the distance. Gregor looked up at the building getting closer and said, “Ms. Devenhill, we’re almost there.”
“Hmm… The road isn’t great today, so we’re a bit slower…” Misha responded silently as she listened to Gregor. Gregor then continued, “Yes, it took a bit longer than before. But Ms. Devenhill, do we really need to come here again? That guy has been interrogated multiple times, and everything that could be extracted has been extracted…”
With a hint of doubt, Gregor asked Misha, who replied calmly, “Last night, while sorting through clues, I suddenly came up with some new ideas. If my hunch is correct, that guy might still be hiding something from us. I need to clarify this.”
“Oh…”
After listening to Misha, Gregor nodded thoughtfully and remained silent, continuing to ride behind her. After they walked for a while, Misha paused slightly, as if remembering something, and felt around her body. Then, frowning, she turned back to look at Gregor.
“I was careless… My identification is missing. It seems I dropped it when we were checked at the fork earlier. Meschos, could you please help me find it?”
“At the fork? That’s quite far. Alright, please wait here, Ms. Misha. I’ll be back soon,” Gregor replied, pulling the reins to turn his horse around and galloping back. Misha watched him disappear from view as she waited.
Misha stood there silently, as if waiting for Gregor to return. Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed in the woods beside her. She turned her head and saw a rider emerge from the forest.
It was a black horse, larger than the ones she and Gregor were riding. On the horseback sat a young man in a Hunter uniform, whose face bore an exact resemblance to Gregor’s who had just left.
In front of Misha stood a man who looked exactly like Gregor, except for the worn-out uniform he wore, which was clearly different from Gregor’s. Also, the horse wasn’t the same one. The young man had a smile on his lips, a smile that Gregor rarely showed, making Misha feel somewhat uncomfortable. This displayed a completely different aura compared to Gregor.
“Hello, Ms. Misha, nice to meet you.”
Facing Misha, the young man with Gregor’s identical appearance smiled and tipped his hat, bowing slightly. After examining the familiar yet strange figure, Misha curiously asked, “Are you… from the Rosy Cross?”
“Indeed, I used some methods to gain the ability of bl**d Darkness. Your subordinate hurried off just now; I almost didn’t have time to observe him.” The young man continued smiling as he spoke to Misha. Misha then asked, “How should I address you?”
“Hmm… My real name isn’t important right now. For this mission, you may continue to call me Gregor.”
The young man, who called himself Gregor, shrugged and said to Misha. Misha turned her head toward the direction where the real Gregor disappeared and continued, “What about my subordinate? You won’t do anything to him, will you?”
“Of course not. We might implant false memories to make him cooperate with us. Hmm, Ms. Misha, you seem quite concerned about that fellow. Could it be that you have feelings for him?” The young man teased, and Misha immediately responded, “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m just a little concerned about my subordinate. There’s nothing else. He’s reliable and performs well on missions. It would be a shame if anything happened to him…”
Changing the subject, Misha continued, “By the way, you guys actually have the ability to implant false memories. How is that possible?”
“It’s a minor trick using dreams. It’s not our main ability and has many restrictions. It only works under certain conditions.”
“Alright, let’s get to the point. Those guys have already started moving. We don’t have much time. Let’s hurry.”
Gregor said to Misha and then looked toward the distant, towering fortress prison. Misha nodded slightly and continued riding toward their destination, with Gregor following behind.
After changing subordinates, Misha arrived at the entrance of the tall fortress prison. At the guard post, she was stopped by a sentry and subjected to a thorough check.
After dismounting and undergoing a full inspection and presenting her complete identification, Misha was allowed to proceed. As she walked toward the towering wall, a smiling warden emerged from a small door and greeted her warmly.
“Oh, I wondered who it was. It’s Ms. Devenhill… Long time no see. Please forgive me for not greeting you properly.”
Looking at the plump warden with a flattering smile, Misha kept her hands behind her back and said indifferently, “Long time no see, Warden Morris. I’m here for the usual purpose.”
“The usual purpose? Oh, I understand. So, Ms. Devenhill, who are you going to interrogate this time? I’ll arrange it right away,” the warden replied, and Misha continued, “I’m going to interrogate 1142, 0155, 0078… these few.”
“1142, 0078… These few? You’ve interrogated these guys many times last year and early this year. Interrogating them again suggests you have some progress, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just lead the way. No need to prepare a special interrogation room. I’ll go straight to their cells and ask a few questions,” Misha said to the warden, who nodded repeatedly.
“Of course, let’s go.”
The warden led Misha and Gregor into the heavily guarded prison fortress. They walked down the long, damp stone corridors, passing through layers of security until they reached the prison area. The warden brought out a bunch of keys to unlock the cell doors.
“By the way, I might interrogate some unexpected prisoners later. It might take a while. You can give the keys to this subordinate of mine, and we’ll handle it ourselves. You can attend to your own matters.”
“Uh… Alright.”
Misha said to the warden. Hearing Misha’s words, the warden hesitated for a moment and handed the keys to Gregor. Gregor, after taking the keys, began to open some cell doors in the prison area. Misha entered each cell to conduct brief interrogations, asking about the prisoner’s case details, then leaving and locking the door again.
After interrogating several prisoners, Misha and Gregor headed deeper into the prison. They descended via a staircase to a cold underground dungeon. Under the dim light, they approached a heavy iron door. Misha glanced at Gregor, who quickly found the corresponding keys among the complex set and unlocked the door. Inside, they saw a small, dark cell.
Inside the cell, a thin prisoner in prison clothes, with a yellowish complexion and no hair, sat on the cold ground. His hands and feet were chained to the wall with thick iron chains, and bl**d marks were visible on his wrists and ankles. When the cell door opened, the prisoner slowly lifted his head, looking at Misha and Gregor entering the cell.
“Hello, Wei Han Cardel… No, Mr. Nosben, it’s been a long time.”
Facing the bewildered prisoner, Misha, standing with her hands behind her back, said condescendingly. The prisoner known as Nosben hesitated for a moment and then replied, “It’s you… from the Black Dog Bureau… What do you want now?”
“Of course, the same as before. I have some questions for you.”
“Questions? Ha… I’ve told you everything I know. What else do you want to ask? I’m just a small member of the organization, a tiny part of the Spider Queen’s web. I can’t provide you with any useful information. Even if you target me, you won’t get more intelligence…”
Nosben said, revealing his identity. He was a member of the Eight Pinnacle Nest, one of the spiders captured by the Anonymity Headquarters. Moreover, he was a special spider.
Nosben was not caught in the recent clearance operation of the Anonymity Headquarters. Instead, he was an exposed spy caught much earlier. He was a spy who had revealed his identity.
At the end of last year, Bureau Chief Harold of the Anonymity Headquarters decided to form a counter-espionage team composed entirely of local division members to address the increasingly serious issue of intelligence leaks. Unfortunately, this news was obtained by the Eight Pinnacle Nest. Among the team members sent to report to the headquarters, two were ambushed. Wei Han, a member from South Lymm County, was killed during the ambush and replaced by an Eight Pinnacle member. This was Nosben.
Later, Misha learned Wei Han’s true identity through information from the Rosy Cross and secretly captured Nosben, who had taken Wei Han’s identity. After forcing him to reveal his true identity, they interrogated him repeatedly, but unfortunately, due to Nosben’s limited knowledge, they did not extract any valuable information.
“Is there a hidden contact point in Tivyan? What plans does the Eight Pinnacle have for deploying spies after you? Tell me clearly!”
“Hmph, don’t bother, Mother Black Dog. I don’t know these things. Even if you open my head, you won’t find anything. Don’t waste your time…”
Facing the spy subordinate she hadn’t seen in a long time, Misha conducted various rigorous interrogations but received no valuable information from Nosben. Faced with Nosben’s constant refusal to answer, Misha seemed increasingly annoyed.
“Listen, you filthy spider, you’d better answer my questions properly. Otherwise…”
Suddenly, Misha closed her mouth, her eyes widening in shock. A look of unbearable fatigue appeared on her face. In Nosben’s astonished gaze, she collapsed, unconscious on the floor.
“What…” Nosben stared wide-eyed, unsure what had happened to Misha. At that moment, a voice echoed in the cell, catching Nosben’s attention.
“Haha… The effect of the drug is working. It triggers instantly and works remarkably fast.”
Standing beside Misha, Gregor held a small wooden stick and smiled. Then, he shifted his gaze to the shocked Nosben and said, “Time is short. Let’s get started. This mother Black Dog’s identity will help you pass through all the guards outside.”
…
As Gregor and Misha entered Cold Cliff Prison, vast stretches of the wilderness outside the massive prison fortress were bustling with hidden figures rapidly converging on the target location. In secret locations outside Cold Cliff Prison, mysterious figures were gathering. Inside the prison, preparations were being made.
